OUTDOORS / Over hills, down dales

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, March 2, 2006

Photo: Frederic Larson

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WEATHER_0048_fl.jpg; Hot and then more hot is the theme for the Bay Area as the sun peaked over Mount Diablo in the East Bay as temperture once again will be triple figures. A large ridge of high pressure will stick with us today. Sunshine and well above normal tempertures will continue over most of the state. A cooling trend is focasted for the weekend. Location:� 9/8/04
San Francisco Chronicle Frederic Larson Ran on: 09-09-2004 Ran on: 09-09-2004 Ran on: 05-17-2005
Mount Diablo came by its name in the early 1800s when Spanish troops called a nearby site Monte del Diablo, or thicket of the devil. Ran on: 05-17-2005
Kyrgyz border guards check Uzbek refugees' documents. less

WEATHER_0048_fl.jpg; Hot and then more hot is the theme for the Bay Area as the sun peaked over Mount Diablo in the East Bay as temperture once again will be triple figures. A large ridge of high pressure will ... more

Photo: Frederic Larson

OUTDOORS / Over hills, down dales

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A STEP UP: Come a spring day, there's nothing like a challenging hike to get in shape.

The Bay Area has several of them -- long, steep trails that will make you huff and puff like an old steam locomotive. For those out of condition, well, better keep your train at the station. Here are the five steepest trails in the Bay Area:

Rose Peak, Ohlone Wilderness

Synopsis: 19.4-mile round trip, 4,000-foot gain.

You've got to be a little deranged for this trip, and for folks like me, it's a perfect fit. Start at the trailhead for the Ohlone Wilderness Trail near the Lichen Bark Picnic Area for Del Valle Regional Park. The trip starts by climbing 1,600 feet in 1.5 miles to Rocky Ridge for beautiful views of Del Valle Reservoir and beyond. Then you drop into Williams Gulch and have to climb again to Wauhab Ridge, and after another drop, climb up to Rose Peak. At 3,817 feet, Rose Peak is only 32 feet shorter than Mount Diablo and provides 360-degree views of the East Bay hills' wildest lands. Map provided with wilderness permit. (510) 562-7275; www.ebparks.org.

At 3,849 feet, Diablo towers over the vast expanse of lowlands surrounding it. This trek, known best as the Giant Loop, starts at the Mitchell Canyon Trailhead outside of Clayton (elevation 600 feet). The first serious climb rises 1,000 feet in a mile up to Deer Flat for sweeping views to the north and across the Lower Delta. From here, hike on Deer Flat Road to Juniper Campground, then up to the parking lots, which have some killer steep spots. Turn the hike into a loop by returning down through Murchio Gap. A map is a must, of course. (925) 837-2525 (recorded info), (925) 837-6119 (ranger kiosk); www.mdia.org.

East Peak Summit from Stinson Beach

Synopsis: 8 miles one way, 2,500-foot climb.

Climbing the East Peak of Mount Tamalpais (2,571 feet) from Stinson Beach is one of the most dramatic ocean-view treks in California. The only way it gets better is to do it in reverse, top to bottom, but then you wouldn't get the desired agony of the climb to go with the ecstasy. The trailhead is at Stinson Beach off Highway 1 at Buena Vista Road (elevation 70 feet). Take the Matt Davis Trail to start the trip. For the route to the summit, the detailed map by Tom Harrison Cartography -- (800) 265-9090, www.tomharrisonmaps.com -- is a must. Plan for a lunch stop at West Point Inn (bring your own food) and a shuttle car at the summit parking lot. (415) 388-2070; www.parks.ca.gov.

Peak Trail, Mission Peak

Synopsis: 7-mile round trip, 2,117-foot climb.

Mission Peak towers over the South Bay for fantastic views of the Santa Clara Valley to the west and the Ohlone Wilderness and Rose Peak to the east. The route starts at the end of Stanford Avenue in Fremont, and from here, you can see the route (a service road) all the way to the top. When warm weather follows soaking March rains, wildflower blooms are spectacular. Map and brochure at entrance gate. (510) 562-7275; www.ebparks.org.

Mississippi Lake, Henry W. Coe

State Park

Synopsis: 25-mile round trip, overnight, 5,000-foot elevation gain.

Henry Coe is the Bay Area's backyard wilderness, 86,000 acres with more than 100 small lakes and ponds. It is also a forbidding land, requiring long, grueling hikes with 1,500- to 2,000-foot climbs up foothill ridges and then down the other side, and then up again, over and over. The top payoff is Mississippi Lake, deep, emerald green and full of bass. (408) 779-2728; www.coepark.org; www.parks.ca.gov.